The Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls and Culcutt Middle School in Central Falls Have current reform efforts such as NCLB and RTTT affected RI schools, especially those that serve Rhode Island's most impoverished students? Introduction:
Part of the recent push within educational reform includes an emphasis on charter schools as a potential solution to low-performing schools. Central Falls is a low-income city in Rhode Island that is home to both public and charter schools. The Calcutt Middle School in Central Falls serves a high percentage of children living in poverty. More recently the Charter School “Learning Community” was opened nearby and serves some of the same population. Looking at the academic proficiency of both schools in the 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 school years will help answer the question of if a charter school serving the same population is an effective reform effort under NCLB. Below the standardized tests of both schools are examined in order to understand improvements or declines in both schools' performance.
The Calcutt Middle School was classified as a "low-performing school" which was "not improving" in 2001. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2001) At the time in 2000-2001, 73% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch. The student body was 62% Hispanic, 10% Black and 28% White, 25% of students received ESL and 23% are recipients of special ed service. The demographics of the school have changed and become more impoverished. In 2012-2013 94% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch as opposed to 46% statewide, and 73% in 2000-2001. Students receiving ESL were 26% versus 6% of state and students receiving special education were 24% versus 15% of the state. Below are the test patterns of the school years 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 when NECAP testing is available. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013)
In Math, the Culcutt School performed significantly worse than the state average in 2004-2005, and only slightly narrowed the gap in 2012-2013. However, the school performance did increase and the school is now classified as demonstrating “moderate improvement.” Below the Calcutt improvement can be seen by examining the blue (2004-2005) and green lines(2012-2013) in comparison with the state results (red: 2004-2005 and purple: 2012-2013). It is evident that more students were proficient in math by 2012-2013, and fewer were substantially below the proficient level. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013) For reading, a similar trend can be seen below:
Students at Culcutt performed below the state average in 2004-2005, and also in 2013-2014. When comparing the school’s progress over time it shows moderate improvement in rates of proficiency in reading (26% proficient or proficient with distinction in 2004-2005 compared to 36% proficient or proficient with distinction in 2013-2014).
In writing Culcutt’s scores decreased over time as seen below:
In 2004-2005 19% of students were proficient or proficient with distinction, and in 2013-2014 only 12% of students were proficient or proficient with distinction. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013) The data shows that Culcutt school have improved in reading and math, but decreased slightly in writing. This demonstrates that NCLB and RTTT have marginally benefitted the Culcutt Middle School regardless of the role of the charter school in the area.
The Learning Community:
(Learning Community, n.d.)
The Learning Community is a Charter School located near the Culcutt Middle School that was established in 2004 and has continued to grow in size over the last ten years. Differing from some criticism of charter schools, The Learning Community serves a very similar population as Culcutt Middle School. In 2012-13, 94% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch, the same percentage as Culcutt Middle School. In addition, 32% of students are ELL and 11% special education services.(Rhode Island Department of Education, 2013). Despite serving a very challenging and expensive population, as seen in the three charts below, the Learning Community outperforms the state and the Culcutt Middle School in every category.
Reading comparison: In Reading the Learning Community has higher levels of proficiency than both the state and Culcutt and significantly lower levels of "substantially below proficient" than Culcutt:
Math: In Math, a similar trend can be seen in which Learning Community outscores both the state and its neighboring Culcutt school substantially:
Writing: Again, in Writing the Learning Community shows higher levels of proficiency than either the state or Culcutt school:
In conclusion, the changes between years show some improvement in Culcutt scores, but with so many factors it is difficult to made strong and definite conclusions. No Child Left Behind and Race to The Top may or may not have had an impact on Culcutt School. Because the increase in scores was insignificant when compared to the state progress, it is difficult to make any firm conclusions. What is clear is that the Learning Community outscores the state and the Culcutt School in every category and by significant differences.
Have current reform efforts such as NCLB and RTTT affected RI schools, especially those that serve Rhode Island's most impoverished students?
Introduction:
Part of the recent push within educational reform includes an emphasis on charter schools as a potential solution to low-performing schools. Central Falls is a low-income city in Rhode Island that is home to both public and charter schools. The Calcutt Middle School in Central Falls serves a high percentage of children living in poverty. More recently the Charter School “Learning Community” was opened nearby and serves some of the same population. Looking at the academic proficiency of both schools in the 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 school years will help answer the question of if a charter school serving the same population is an effective reform effort under NCLB. Below the standardized tests of both schools are examined in order to understand improvements or declines in both schools' performance.
Calcutt Middle School:
(“Families/Students,” n.d.)
The Calcutt Middle School was classified as a "low-performing school" which was "not improving" in 2001. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2001) At the time in 2000-2001, 73% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch. The student body was 62% Hispanic, 10% Black and 28% White, 25% of students received ESL and 23% are recipients of special ed service. The demographics of the school have changed and become more impoverished. In 2012-2013 94% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch as opposed to 46% statewide, and 73% in 2000-2001. Students receiving ESL were 26% versus 6% of state and students receiving special education were 24% versus 15% of the state. Below are the test patterns of the school years 2004-2005 and 2012-2013 when NECAP testing is available. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013)
In Math, the Culcutt School performed significantly worse than the state average in 2004-2005, and only slightly narrowed the gap in 2012-2013. However, the school performance did increase and the school is now classified as demonstrating “moderate improvement.” Below the Calcutt improvement can be seen by examining the blue (2004-2005) and green lines(2012-2013) in comparison with the state results (red: 2004-2005 and purple: 2012-2013). It is evident that more students were proficient in math by 2012-2013, and fewer were substantially below the proficient level. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013)
For reading, a similar trend can be seen below:
Students at Culcutt performed below the state average in 2004-2005, and also in 2013-2014. When comparing the school’s progress over time it shows moderate improvement in rates of proficiency in reading (26% proficient or proficient with distinction in 2004-2005 compared to 36% proficient or proficient with distinction in 2013-2014).
In writing Culcutt’s scores decreased over time as seen below:
In 2004-2005 19% of students were proficient or proficient with distinction, and in 2013-2014 only 12% of students were proficient or proficient with distinction. (Rhode Island Department of Ed, 2013) The data shows that Culcutt school have improved in reading and math, but decreased slightly in writing. This demonstrates that NCLB and RTTT have marginally benefitted the Culcutt Middle School regardless of the role of the charter school in the area.
The Learning Community:
(Learning Community, n.d.)
The Learning Community is a Charter School located near the Culcutt Middle School that was established in 2004 and has continued to grow in size over the last ten years. Differing from some criticism of charter schools, The Learning Community serves a very similar population as Culcutt Middle School. In 2012-13, 94% of students were eligible for subsidized lunch, the same percentage as Culcutt Middle School. In addition, 32% of students are ELL and 11% special education services.(Rhode Island Department of Education, 2013). Despite serving a very challenging and expensive population, as seen in the three charts below, the Learning Community outperforms the state and the Culcutt Middle School in every category.
Reading comparison: In Reading the Learning Community has higher levels of proficiency than both the state and Culcutt and significantly lower levels of "substantially below proficient" than Culcutt:
Math: In Math, a similar trend can be seen in which Learning Community outscores both the state and its neighboring Culcutt school substantially:
Writing: Again, in Writing the Learning Community shows higher levels of proficiency than either the state or Culcutt school:
In conclusion, the changes between years show some improvement in Culcutt scores, but with so many factors it is difficult to made strong and definite conclusions. No Child Left Behind and Race to The Top may or may not have had an impact on Culcutt School. Because the increase in scores was insignificant when compared to the state progress, it is difficult to make any firm conclusions. What is clear is that the Learning Community outscores the state and the Culcutt School in every category and by significant differences.
Bibliography:
Families/Students. (n.d.). Calcutt Middle School. Retrieved July 22, 2014, from http://calcutt.cfschools.net/familiesstudents.html
Learning Community. (n.d.). Photos Learning Community. Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/learning_community/6173264044/in/set-72157627729669176
Rhode Island Department of Ed. (2001). InfoWorks: Rhode Island Middle Schools: 2001. Retrieved from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2002/performance/performance-middle.pdf
Rhode Island Department of Ed. (2013). InfoWorks: Calcutt Middle School//. Retrieved from http://www.infoworks.ride.uri.edu/2002/performance/performance-middle.pdf